Contact for electric hand-lamps.



PATENTED JAN. 24, 1905.

C. L. PATTERSON. CONTACT FOR ELECTRIC HAND LAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6, 1904.

1 914344 coo c a 6 M w w "Gm w UNITED STATES Patented January 24, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

CONTACT FOR ELECTRIC HAND-LAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,523, dated January 24, 1905.

7 Application filed April 6, 1904. Serial No. 0 1

To rtZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, GEoReE L. PATTERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York, State of New York. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Contacts for Electric Hand-Lamps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to electric hand-lamps. and particularly to a. contact therefor.

The object of my invention is to provide a glow-light which may be carried in the hand and in which the current may be turned on quickly by hand and locked in its operating position and unlocked easily by the use of one hand alone.

The invention consists in a construction having suitable electric batteries and an incandescent lamp with a stationary and a movable contact. A sliding button is carried by a spring member and movable so as to engage or disengage the stationary contact and be locked in relation thereto when desired.

In the single sheet of drawings accompanying this specification, Figure 1 represents a construction embodying the improvements of my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal crosssectional View of the same, taken, however, at right angles to the position shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail showing the contacts which are of my invention.

1 indicates a suitable casing.

2 is a battery contained within the casing of any suitable construction formed of one or more parts, as desired.

8 is a lens removably carried by the outer end of the casing.

4c is a metallic reflector carried by the easing and supporting the lamp 5. The battery is held into electrical contact with one terminal of the lamp by means of the spring 6, which is held in place by the removable cap 7.

8 is a stationary contact secured to the casing 1 and having an electrical connection with the reflector 4 and thence to one terminal of the lamp 5.

9 is the second terminal, which has an electrical connection with the batteries.

When the two contacts are brought together, the electric circuit is complete and the lamp is lighted. Lamps of this character are especially designed for use for short periods of time and for this reason have sometimes been called flash-lights. It often is desirable, however, to leave the lamp lightedfor some little time. 'VVhen this is the case, it is inconvenient and troublesome to hold the two contacts together by hand.

The movable contact is in the form of a spring and of course opposes the action of the hand and necessitates the application of considerable pressure to operate it. My particular improvement relates to means of looking the contacts together, which may be operated conveniently by use of a single hand. In fact, the contact may be operated by simply grasping the body of the lamp in the hand and placing the thumb upon the contact 9 and pressing it down. The locking device may be controlled by this single thumb, leaving the other hand entirely free.

The invention consists in its simplified form of a construction as shown. The stationary contact has an upturned lip 10 with a recess underneath. This is conveniently formed by cutting a slit and pressing up the projection from the metal of which the contact is formed. The main body of the other contact, as before stated, is formed of spring metal. The end of this contact 9 carries a button 11, which may be engaged conveniently by the end of the thumb. The shank of this button passes through a slot in the spring 9 and carries a bolt 12 on the under side. This bolt is adapted to engage beneath the lip 10 of the stationary contact 8 and hold the parts in their electrically-connected position, as shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 3. The contact may be disengaged by simply retracting the bolt 12 by means of the button 11.

WVhat I claim is 1. A lamp of the character described having in combination, a casing, an incandescent light, a battery therefor, a stationary contact having an upturned projecting lip and a spring-contact having a longitudinally-movable button adapted to engage with the lip for locking the same in electrical connection.

2. A lamp of the character described comprising the combination ofa casing, a battery,

a light, a stationary contact having a projecting lip and a spring-contact, electrical connections between said contacts and the terminals of the battery and lamp and a sliding button carried by the spring-finger adapted to engage beneath the projectinglip for locking the parts, substantially as described.

3. In a lamp of the character described, in combination, a casing, a lamp, a refiectorsupporting and connecting said lamp, a battery within said casing electrically connected to the other terminal of said lamp, yielding means for holding the battery in engagement With the lamp, a pair of contacts carried by said casing and one of them being electrically connected to the reflector and the other electrically connected to the battery, one of said contacts being a movable round-topped button, the other of said contacts having an upwardly-projecting lip adapted to be engaged by said movable button for locking the contacts in their electrical connection.

4:. A lamp, comprising the combination of a casing, a battery, an electric light, a stationary contact carried by the casing formed of sheet metal and having an upturned lip, a second contact carried by the casing formed of spring metal and having a slotted end, a button having its shank passing through the slotted portion of said second contact and a bolt carried by the base of said button adapted to engage With said upturned lip.

GEORGE L. PATTERSON. Witnesses:

Rom. S. ALLYN, L. VREELAND. 

